The Progressive Democrat Newsletter grew out of the frustration of the 2004 election. Originally intended for New York City progressives, its readership is now national. For anyone who wants to be alerted by email whenever this newsletter is updated (usually weekly), please send your email address and let me know what state you live in (so I can keep track of my readership).

ETV Radio is comprised of eight radio transmitters, with the broadcast center in Columbia. The radio frequencies of all stations in the network are on the low end of the FM dial, between 88.1 and 91.3.

CURRENT TV:Current TV, founded by Al Gore, includes some of the best journalism in America today. In particular their Vanguard series is amazing and should not be missed by ANYONE who wants to know in depth coverage of some of the major stories in the world. And now CurrentTV has Keith Olbermann as well.

South Carolina Progressive Network Blog: This space was created for members and friends of the South Carolina Progressive Network to promote and advance the good work they are doing in communities across the state. We want to connect organizations and individuals of like mind to maximize collective power, and we are working to grow the grass roots to change government and social policy from the ground up.

• COLUMBIA •First Tuesday, 7pm, Columbia Central Labor Council meeting, 2025 Marion St. The 17 unions in the Columbia area meet monthly to promote issues important to working families. The SC Progressive Network is a union shop and member of the Central Labor Council. For details, email jennypatterson@knology.net.

First Sundays, 3pm: Regular working meetings at the Rosewood Community Garden, an organic vegetable garden at 1100 S. Holly St., behind Ben Arnold Center. All who live near the garden are welcome to become growers. Reap the benefits of fresh food and community! For more information on this and other Carolina Peace Common Ground projects, click here. Call 803-446-2772 or write to info@carolinapeace.org to join the community gardening listserv.

Sundays, 3pm: The public is invited to a weekly discussion group on the environment, led by Mel Jenkins of Environmentalists, Inc., at the USC Green Quad (West Quad). Discussions include local environmental and energy issues. For details, call 803-929-0200.

Every Wednesday, 5pm: Women in Black, State House. For details, call 803-446-2772.

Third Thursday, 6pm: PFLAG Columbia meets at St. Martin’s in the Fields Episcopal Church in the Community House, next to the parking lot behind the church, 5220 Clemson Ave. For information, call 803-781-0515.

Second Wednesday, 7pm: Hilton Head for Peace programs. For details, call 843-681-4010 or email fintaylor@hargray.com.

• MYRTLE BEACH •Third Saturday, 2-3pm: Peace vigil at Chapin Park, Business 17, Myrtle Beach, next to the library. Sponsored in part by Low Country Peace Network. For information, email DwightFee@aol.com.

We recognize that many Hispanics in South Carolina confront multiple barriers to healthcare. These include access, information, knowledge, resources, and cultural competency, both in terms of providers and those utilizing services. With this in mind, the overarching goal of the South Carolina Hispanic/Latino Health Coalition is to work together to advocate for the availability of quality, culturally and linguistically appropriate healthcare services in South Carolina.

We are a non-profit organization made of various professionals (both health-centered and non-health professionals) who seeks to improve the health of Hispanics/Latinos in Columbia via healthcare services, outreach programs, and research.

Every month people who work in the environmental field meet up at informal sessions known as Green Drinks.

We have a lively mixture of people from NGOs, academia, government and business. Come along and you'll be made welcome. Just say, "are you green?" and we will look after you and introduce you to whoever is there. It's a great way of catching up with people you know and also for making new contacts. Everyone invites someone else along, so there’s always a different crowd, making Green Drinks an organic, self-organising network.

These events are very simple and unstructured, but many people have found employment, made friends, developed new ideas, done deals and had moments of serendipity. It's a force for the good and we'd like to help it spread to other cities. Contact your local node to get the latest info about coming along.

Here are some Green Drinks Groups in South Carolina: (click on the links to find out more info)

NAACP SOUTH CAROLINA:
The South Carolina State Conference is the leading civil rights organization in the state of South Carolina. The organization was chartered in 1939 and now operates through a network of branches, youth councils and college chapters located across the forty-six counties of the state. The NAACP is driven by volunteers committed to the mission of the oldest civil rights organization in America.

Our Mission

Through a dedicated volunteer force we seek to eliminate the impact of racial discrimination in housing, employment, voting, health care, education, and the Courts.

Getting Involved

To join your local NAACP, call us at 803-754-4584.

Eastern Cherokee, Southern Iroquois and United Tribes of SCOfficial site of the Eastern Cherokee, Southern Iroquois & United Tribes of South Carolina, Inc

SCCADVASA is a statewide coalition of all domestic violence shelters and rape crisis centers in South Carolina. Since 1981, we have been an advocacy leader in representing the critical needs of survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault.

The South Carolina Progressive Network is a coalition of grassroots activists who have joined forces to promote social and economic justice in the Palmetto State. Created in 1995 as a tool to engage South Carolinians in their communities and in their government, the Network connects people to each other and to resources designed to leverage the work of progressive organizations.

Meetings: The Network meets each month in Charleston, Greenville and Columbia to share information, coordinate projects and plan events. Meetings are informal and open to anyone interested in good government and improving the quality of life in South Carolina. See calendar listing for details.

Join us! While the Network is a member-driven organization, you don’t need to be a member to participate in meetings or other Network events. Our members are comprised of groups and individuals who support our mission statement and agree to pay annual dues based on a sliding scale. To join, download the appropriate form and mail to PO Box 8325, Columbia, SC 29202.

Every 4th Tuesday, 7pm: Progressive Network Study Group, Network offices, 2025 Marion St. Free and open to anyone. Meetings are informal; bring snacks and drinks to share. We encourage participants to read the suggested material before each session. For details, call 803-808-3384 or email network@scpronet.com.

• Missing Voter Project:

Since 2004, the SC Progressive Network‘s Missing Voter Project has registered about 6,500 new voters. This year, we are being much more strategic, and want to leave organized community teams in place to continue to work on our ailing democracy after the elections are over. This is a non-partisan project. We will train organizers on registering in schools and jails, targeted neighborhoods and events. We will organize teams, who will determine their own schedules. The project focuses on historically under-represented citizens.

Democracy is not a spectator sport. Do your part! Contact the Network office to set up a FREE training for your organization by calling 803-808-3384. We will provide you with all the tools you need to do a registration drive in your community.

The South Carolina HIV/AIDS Council (SCHAC) is an organization dedicated to developing strategies to reduce the rate of HIV/AIDS and improve the quality of life of citizens throughout South Carolina impacted by the human immunodeficiency virus.

For more info, call: Phone: 803) 254-6644 or email: support@schivaidscouncil.org

ALTERNATIVE FUELS:

There are two kinds of alternate fuels that are readily available that lower your carbon foot print and use AMERICAN resources and create AMERICAN jobs rather than supporting big oil companies and oil nations like Saudi Arabia, Iran and Venezuela.

BIODIESEL: Pretty much ANY diesel engine can use biodiesel. Biodiesel burns cleaner and in most engines is better for the engine. It can be more expensive than regular diesel depending on the location, but is better for the environment, is better for most diesel engines, and is good for the local economy. You can find nearby stations and cooperatives (often the best option) that offer biodiesel by clicking here and either clicking on your state on the map or entering your zip code. We used biodiesel in a rental car one year and loved it.

ETHANOL: Cars labeled FlexFuel (now becoming common in some states) can use up to E85 (85% ethanol/15% gasoline). E85 burns cleaner than gasoline and is usually cheaper. I have used E85 in California and found it to be 10-40 cents cheaper than the cheapest gasoline at the same station. CLICK HERE TO FIND STATIONS IN SOUTH CAROLINA OFFERING E85. This can be a really good way to help the American economy, help the environment, AND save money.